NOLA GBRC August 2010 Newsletter

Greetings from our New Orleans Green Building Resource Center

Five years. It feels like we've both lived a lifetime and covered these post-K years in a heartbeat. Each of us has a unique Katrina story, of course, but as we take time this week to remember and reflect, my thoughts turn to our common story. We have all marched in such a powerful parade of emotions these past years: terror, shock, anguish, uncertainty, frustration, depression, anger, defiance, determination, hope, pride, celebration, joy and resolve.

We've lost much as a city, but should look now with hard-earned appreciation at what we've achieved and how incredibly far we've come in 60 months. Perhaps the most important achievement that we have made is the awakening of our sense of communal self, and of the power that we as citizens have to become the author of our own destiny. Many daunting challenges face us in the coming years, but we now know that together we are up to the fight. So this week, as each of us recalls our personal odyssey from August 29, 2005, rejoice that New Orleans is now, more than ever, a community united.

On behalf of Global Green USA and the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, we invite you to join us on Wednesday evening, August 25th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm for an intimate neighborhood celebration at our Holy Cross Project located at 409 Andry Street in the 9th Ward.

We will mark the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by dedicating our Visitor Center to Pam Dashiell, Past President of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association. We will join the community in remembering Pam for her incredible vision and passion for the people of Holy Cross and New Orleans, and for sharing our vision of sustainably rebuilding the 9th ward.

We will also celebrate the 1st phase of constructioncompletion of theHoly Cross Project and the progress we've made in spurring the green rebuilding of New Orleans.

We'll have music and light refreshments at the event and invite you to tour the finished homes of the project. We hope to see you there!

Though not required, we appreciate your RSVP by 3pm CST on Wednesday, August 25th to Heidi Jensen at[email protected]

Casa Borrega, a soon-to-be Mexican Café and Latin Cultural Center, will debut New Orleans' Latin Jazz Fest on the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The concert is the first of its kind to celebrate the rhythms so essential to our city. Deep roots connect the music of New Orleans with the sounds that have emanated from Cuba and other Spanish speaking nations. New Orleans’ cultural heritage is that much richer because of the Latin influence.

This festival celebrates a people who have shaped our region in so many ways, yet have largely gone unrecognized. Twenty-five of New Orleans’ most prolific Latin Jazz artists will perform the melodic and danceable beats of their genre in honor of the significant contribution of Latino immigrants to the rebuilding of the city. The event will take place in Central City, arguably the birthplace of New Orleans jazz, and a neighborhood where races and cultures intermingle.

This seminal four hour program is open to the public for a $10 donation. Imported beer, mojitos, tacos al pastor, tortas, and other Latin delicacies will be available.

A home's windows and doors are a major cause of air leakage and solar heat gain. Air leakage and solar heat gain effects HVAC systems and human comfort. This month's workshop will teach you how to choose efficient windows and doors - taking into account climate,house orientation, ventilation and light penetration. Speakers will also discuss the importance of low-e coatings, and how they reduce solar heat gain. Gary Granata of PerformWell will talk about low-e coatings andBill Robinson of Train 2 Build will give advice on how to choose the right windows and doors.

Since the water receded and thousands of people descended on the City to see how they could help with and/or profit from its rebuilding, Global Green has been steadily at work to bring affordable green homes and high performance school buildings to New Orleans. It has worked on parallel fronts to increase workforce capacity, educate residents and city officials, and provide models of excellence for the community. The Holy Cross Project and Green Schools initiative, both significant works in progress, are providing evolving lessons on the benefits of green building.

Holy Cross, a neighborhood in New Orleans flood ravaged Lower Ninth Ward, is on higher ground than most of the City... about 6 feet above sea level, on par with the French Quarter. Global Green felt that this was a responsible place to put its sustainable village: five single family homes, an 18 unit apartment building, and a Community and Climate Action Center that will include a credit union and corner grocery for the neighborhood.

The five homes are now complete and up for sale, with one serving as a visitors center until the project is complete. All of the homes have either received or are on track to receive LEED Platinum certification for their many green features including solar energy, energy and water efficiency, healthy indoor air quality and resiliency. Rain gardens that absorb storm water will be installed in October.

The Green Schools Initiative, funded by a $2M grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund, allowed Global Green to make some far reaching improvements to local schools and provide guidelines and information across the state. The organization regranted some of its funds to helpfour "green seed" public schools make energy efficiency improvements averaging $23,000 in annual savings, and two "model schools" achieve LEED Gold and LEED Silver certification. The remainder of the funds were used to participate in the development of a new master plan for New Orleans schools that committed to green construction, give workshops in three parishes, add green criteria to statewide school building guidelines, develop green curricula for K-12 teachers, provide assemblies and teacher training on environmental stewardship, and host a green career fair for high school students and community members.